It might even be an addiction. According to the American Psychiatric Association, an addiction must meet at least three of the below seven criteria.
Answer yes or no to the following:. How did you do? If you said yes to three or more, you may have an e-messaging addiction not a formal DSM diagnosis. It might be time to take stock of your screen time habits.
Staying mindful that e-messages can be truly biologically seductive, turning them off when working on other things, and choosing when to engage with them will make you more productive and, likely, happier and more intelligent.
App programmers are counting on that drive to keep you checking your phone. Some phone apps are designed in a way to keep you coming back again and again for positive social reinforcements that can trigger the release of dopamine in your brain. What researchers do agree on is the fact that adolescents are more likely to demonstrate addiction-like symptoms with their cell phone use than other age groups. Studies show that cell phone use peaks during the teen years and gradually declines thereafter.
Excessive cell phone use among teens is so common that 33 percent of year-olds never turn off their phone, day or night. And the younger a teen acquires a phone, the more likely they are to develop problematic use patterns.
For girls, dependent use patterns may develop because phones become important tools of social interaction, whereas boys demonstrate a greater tendency to use phones in risky situations.
Teenagers tend to overuse their phones more than other age groups. Studies show the earlier a teen starts using a phone, the higher the risk of problematic use patterns. A review of the available research revealed that several personality traits and conditions have been associated with problematic cell phone use.
One of the hallmarks of any addiction is keeping up the compulsive behavior, even when it can cause severe negative consequences. Take, for example, the risks associated with texting while driving.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that texting while driving is a triple threat, because it causes you to take:. The dangers of using a cell phone while driving are widely known, yet people ignore the risk in pursuit of the small jolt of connectedness a phone provides.
Research has shown that people who overuse cell phones may experience:. If your phone habits are interfering with your health, relationships, and responsibilities, it might be time to make some changes. The good news is that there are steps you can take to change the way you interact with your phone to help limit the negative impacts on your life. Understand the difference between interacting in-person and online. Human beings are social creatures. Socially interacting with another person face-to-face—making eye contact, responding to body language—can make you feel calm, safe, and understood, and quickly put the brakes on stress.
Build your coping skills. Perhaps tweeting, texting or blogging is your way of coping with stress or anger. Or maybe you have trouble relating to others and find it easier to communicate with people online. Building skills in these areas will help you weather the stresses and strains of daily life without relying on your smartphone.
Recognize any underlying problems that may support your compulsive behavior. Have you had problems with alcohol or drugs in the past? Does anything about your smartphone use remind you of how you used to drink or use drugs to numb or distract yourself?
Strengthen your support network. Set aside dedicated time each week for friends and family. If you are shy, there are ways to overcome social awkwardness and make lasting friends without relying on social media or the Internet.
To find people with similar interests, try reaching out to colleagues at work, joining a sports team or book club, enrolling in an education class, or volunteering for a good cause. Think of it more like going on a diet. Just as you still need to eat, you probably still need to use your phone for work, school, or to stay in touch with friends. Your goal should be to cut back to more healthy levels of use. If you need more help to curb your smartphone or Internet use, there are now specialist treatment centers that offer digital detox programs to help you disconnect from digital media.
Individual and group therapy can also give you a tremendous boost in controlling your technology use. Cognitive-behavioral therapy provides step-by-step ways to stop compulsive behaviors and change your perceptions about your smartphone and the Internet.
Therapy can also help you learn healthier ways of coping with uncomfortable emotions—such as stress, anxiety, or depression—that may be fueling your smartphone use.
Marriage or couples counseling. If excessive use of Internet pornography or online affairs is affecting your relationship, counseling can help you work through these challenging issues and reconnect with your partner. Group support. Of course, you need real-life people to benefit fully from any addiction support group. Youngsters lack the maturity to curb their smartphone use on their own, but simply confiscating the device can often backfire, creating anxiety and withdrawal symptoms in your child.
Instead, there are plenty of other ways to help your child find a healthier balance:. Be a good role model. Other apps can eliminate messaging capabilities while in motion, so you can prevent your teen using a smartphone while driving.
Encourage other interests and social activities. Get your child away from screens by exposing them to other hobbies and activities, such as team sports, Scouts, and after-school clubs.
Spend time as a family unplugged. Talk to your child about underlying issues. Compulsive smartphone use can be the sign of deeper problems. Is your child having problems fitting in? Has there been a recent major change, like a move or divorce, which is causing stress? Is your child suffering with other issues at school or home? Get help. Teenagers often rebel against their parents , but if they hear the same information from a different authority figure, they may be more inclined to listen.
We seem to be slaves to technology these days. We have our blackberries, our cell phones, our iPods. According to a recent study, 72 percent of cell phone owners send text messages -- up seven percent from just last year. And texting absolutely can qualify," said Dr. Dale Archer, a clinical psychologist.
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